Popular media is flooded with countless Trump impressions and allegories to MAGA. Did we really need another? Not necessarily, but The Apprentice is one of the more interesting examples. That’s largely because it explores Trump’s villain origin story rather than his rise to the presidency, although there’s plenty of on-the-nose foreshadowing. While the biopic formula isn’t subtle, Sebastian Stan resists the temptation to depict Trump as the cartoon we now know him as (for the most part). By the final act, Stan inches closer to SNL territory. Behind the fake hair, orange skin, and weight gain, though, Stan gives the most nuanced portrayal of Trump possible. That doesn’t mean it’s a forgiving depiction.
The film kicks off at the dawn of Trump’s business career working for his father’s real estate company. Trump’s aspirations go beyond inheriting the family business. He seeks to take New York and then the World by storm, starting with the construction of a luxury hotel. Trump needs to get those pesky feds and the local government off his back first. Enter Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong), an attorney who shapes Trump’s excessive lifestyle, obsession with his image, and reluctance to admit defeat. Cohn will stoop to any low to ensure a win, corrupting whatever morals Trump might’ve had.
Stan finds a believable balance as a young Trump. He’s more naïve and impressionable, yet still resourceful and cunning. He’s an ambitious shark who doesn’t realize how far he’ll go until Cohn awakens the beast inside. Cohn doesn’t realize what he’s created either until it’s too late. Strong deserves equal praise for playing this story’s Dr. Frankenstein, even if the best portrayal of Roy Cohn is still Al Pacino in Angels in America. Trump’s dynamic with Cohn also warrants comparison to Darth Vader and the Emperor. Unlike Vader, though, it’s hard to imagine Trump finding redemption or showing his son(s) affection. While The Apprentice humanizes Trump, it doesn’t paint him in a glamorous or sympathetic light.
It’s no secret that the real Trump has pursued legal action against the film. A sticking point has been a rape scene involving Ivana Trump, played by Maria Bakalova in a surprisingly layered performance. Even without that controversial moment, The Apprentice wouldn’t be a flattering portrait of Trump. It is a fair one, though, addressing the dark truths that Trump’s supporters choose to ignore or simply don’t care about. The film doesn’t pin all the blame on Cohn for how Trump turned out, but one can only imagine what America might look like if they never crossed paths.
From a visual standpoint, Ali Abbasi’s direction doesn’t elevate the material like Martin Scorsese did for The Wolf of Wall Street. Gabriel Sherman’s script also lacks the satirical bite of an Adam McKay picture, although some will consider that a blessing. If not for the cast, The Apprentice might play more like a well-made TV movie. The performances and character dynamics make it worth seeing in a theater, however. Those who already know how they’re voting in November will surely go in with their minds made up. For the few somehow still on the fence, The Apprentice is worth your time. Speaking of time, it’s mercilessly shorter than one of Trump’s rallies.